


for every shadow, there is light

by Victorrotto



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Character Death, M/M, Minor Kim Jongin | Kai/Park Chanyeol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:47:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26139898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victorrotto/pseuds/Victorrotto
Summary: In the wake of Order 66, Jongin finds a wounded Jedi on the doorstep of his cantina.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Oh Sehun, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. Mygeeto

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in the non-canon Legends universe, with some details changed/omitted. I tried to keep everything as compliant to the lore as possible. You don't really need to know that much about Star Wars, but if you need a refresher: the Jedi are the "good guys" with magic, the Sith are the "bad guys" with magic, there's a huge civil war waging in the galaxy, and the Chancellor, who secretly is the Sith mastermind behind everything, has just ordered all good guys' troops to execute their Jedi generals.

The first time Jongin saw the man, he was talking in a hushed tone with the Cerean Jedi General. Jongin thought he saw an angel; never before has he seen someone so stoic, battle-hardened, and ethereal at the same time.

The second time he saw the man, Jongin learned that his name was Kyungsoo and that he too was a member of the Jedi Order. Jongin approached the man one evening in his cantina, offering him a glass of his finest drink on the house. The Jedi refused, claiming that it was against the teachings of the Order and that it would cloud his judgment. Jongin nonchalantly walked away, pretending not to be hurt by the rejection.

When he sees Kyungsoo for the third time, the man’s lying in front of the cantina, motionless, with two blaster wounds clearly visible on his chest. But he’s still breathing, and that’s all that matters to Jongin.

~

“You’re finally awake!” Jongin exclaims when he enters the hidden room in the back of the cantina one day and sees the Jedi sitting up on the bed.

“Indeed,” Kyungsoo replies softly, his eyes closed. “You saved me. Thank you.”

“It was nothing,” Jongin quickly shakes his head. “I mean, anyone would do it in my situation.”

Or, they would, if they hadn’t heard of the Jedi purge happening all across the galaxy.

“I sense that you’re troubled,” Kyungsoo mutters.

Jongin shakes his head. These Jedi and their mind powers. “I… you probably don’t know yet, but things… happened.”

“My troops turned against me,” Kyungsoo says matter-of-factly. “I do not understand. They’re clones; they have no will of their own.”

“The order came from the chancellor,” Jongin says quietly. “I just saw the news yesterday. He made a speech in the Senate about how… how the Jedi attempted to assassinate him.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes snap open. “That’s a lie.”

“I know,” Jongin adds quickly. “I mean, the Jedi aren’t assassins, they’re peacekeepers!”

Kyungsoo stares at Jongin for a second before muttering. “That’s… not accurate. I am a Jedi Shadow. My job is to eliminate threats to the Republic discreetly.”

“Oh.”

Kyungsoo quickly stands up from the bed. “I need to speak to the Council of First Knowledge. Do you have a holoprojector I can use?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jongin says slowly, considering how best to break the news. “The… the Jedi Temple was raided and razed to the ground.”

If Kyungsoo was horrified, sad, angry, or devastated, he didn’t let it show. “I see.”

“I mean, the Senate has ordered all remaining Jedi to report back to Coruscant, but…”

“It’s a trap,” Kyungsoo states simply. “A desperate attempt to get rid of the last of us.”

“What will you do now?” Jongin asks.

“I need to lay low,” Kyungsoo replies. “Gather more information. Obviously, my intel is now irrelevant. Then, depending on my findings, I may still have to complete my mission.”

Jongin gulps. “Which is?”

“To eliminate the Banking Clan’s chairman.”

Jongin feels a shiver run down his spine. “Why… Why are you telling me all of this? Aren’t you afraid I might… betray you?”

“You would have by now if you were going to,” Kyungsoo shrugs. “But you saved me. And you have my eternal thanks.”

~

When Jongin enters the backroom, he finds Kyungsoo standing in front of the mirror, his robes down, examining the wounds on his chest. Jongin quickly looks away, but the image is burned into his mind—while the Jedi is shorter and less muscular than Jongin himself, he knows that looks mean nothing to the Jedi, and that underneath that pale, delicate skin, is a century worth of combat experience.

“I just talked to a few of the clones,” Jongin starts, looking down at his feet. “Mygeeto is now officially under Republic control again. The clan leaders have escaped.”

“Of course they have,” Kyungsoo mutters under his breath. “It’s all become so clear now.”

“What’s become clear?” Jongin asks.

“We were all just pawns,” Kyungsoo says. “Palpatine played us so well. In a single swoop, he destroyed the Jedi and restored the Empire.”

“Forgive my ignorance, but I’m not that familiar with galactic history,” Jongin frowns. “What do you mean, _restored_?”

Kyungsoo finally puts on his robes again and turns to Jongin. “Millenia ago, there was a war between the Republic and the Sith Empire. The Republic won, and the Sith were eliminated. Or so we thought. Thirteen years ago, the Order found out the Sith survived, hiding and scheming out of our sight. My job as a Jedi Shadow is to eliminate all remnants of the Sith and their teachings, though, ever since the war erupted, I’ve been dealing with more… pressing matters.

“And now the Supreme Chancellor has come out as the Sith Lord behind all of this, and the Republic is _cheering_ him. We’ve been had. This whole separatist war has been nothing but a ploy to distract the Jedi while he solidified his power. And now that we’ve run out of usefulness, he just wiped us out.”

“That’s terrifying,” Jongin gulps. “So… what are you going to do now, Master Jedi?”

“My goal has become abundantly clear,” Kyungsoo replies. “The Sith Lord must be removed.”

Jongin looks up, fear in his eyes. Surely, Kyungsoo is not thinking of facing the chancellor alone? “But I thought revenge is against the Jedi Code or something?”

“It is not revenge,” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “It is my sacred duty as a Jedi Shadow.”

Jongin’s face hardens. “... I see.”

He may not know much of the inner workings and machinations of the galaxy, but even he knows that facing the man who brought the entire Jedi Order to its knees isn’t the brightest idea.

“Also, it’s just Kyungsoo.”

~

It takes another week for Kyungsoo to get back in shape. Jongin is still not convinced that he’s fully recovered—how does one even recover from being hit in the chest with blasters?—but Kyungsoo insists that he’s fine. Something about the Force or something.

He spends most of the time shut in the cantina back room. Jongin brings him meals during his bartending breaks and takes the opportunity to chat Kyungsoo up. The Jedi, while seemingly detached and quiet, is surprisingly insightful and empathetic. It’s like he always knows exactly what Jongin’s thinking (does he? Jongin has no idea what the extent of Jedi mind tricks are), and his words always get Jongin thinking about them for hours.

It’s not long until Jongin realizes that those butterflies in his stomach whenever he sees the man are more than some silly physical attraction. No, he’s become infatuated with the stoic knight.

Therefore, when it becomes clear that Kyungsoo won’t be talked out of his suicide mission, Jongin does the best next thing—he offers to join the Jedi on his quest.

“You’re a wanted fugitive with nothing but your lightsaber, how do you plan on getting to Coruscant?” Jongin reasons with him.

“This mission is too dangerous,” Kyungsoo shakes his head dismissively. “There are too many variables.”

“All the more reasons why I should come,” Jongin insists. “Look, we can pretend to be cousins or something. Escaping the war. We’ll say you’re a former slave, so that’s why you don’t have any sort of identification.”

Kyungsoo stares at him quizzically. “Why do you want to join me?”

 _Because I want to be with you._ “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

~

_“According to the latest reports from the Supreme Chancellor’s office, the last remnants of the Separatist Movement have been tracked to Mustafar, a remote mining planet on the Outer Rim. Early reports claim that a man called ‘Vader’ has disposed of the leaders of the Confederacy, but the Chancellor’s office has since rebuked those claims, insisting instead that it was a squad of elite clone troopers who stormed the planet.“_

“There’s always two; a Master and an Apprentice,” Kyungsoo says solemnly as he listens to the news on the holoprojector. “No more, no less.”

“I don’t understand,” Jongin whispers in the seat next to the Jedi.

“Palpatine couldn’t have pulled this out alone,” Kyungsoo says quietly. “He can’t have fought off the council members, ordered the execution of the Jedi, played the victim, _and_ stormed the Temple at the same time. Someone must have led the attack on the Temple. Someone powerful enough to defeat Skywalker.”

That doesn’t make much sense to Jongin, but from the hint of grudging admiration in Kyungsoo’s voice, Jongin assumes this Skywalker must’ve been a great Jedi indeed.

Shaking his head, Jongin turns his attention back to the holonews channel.

_“After a week of arguments on the Senate floor, the Galactic Congress will finally vote today on the resolution to rebrand the Republic as the Galactic Empire. The move is strongly opposed by a coalition of senators, led by Senator Organa of Alderaan, after the previous leader of the opposition, Senator Amidala of Naboo, has passed away during childbirth. The motion, meanwhile, is expected to pass by a large margin. Joining us today is, of course, our political commentator, Sinya Komad. Sinya, what does this change mean to the Republic’s citizens, if any?”_

_“Good day, Poy, and all of our viewers. To answer your question, just for you and me, probably nothing. What the change is about is mainly preventing another secessionist attempt in the future. In the first draft of the proposal, the Chancellor highlights that the biggest changes to the legislature are centralizing the government’s power, limiting the systems’ ability to leave the union, and, most importantly, revising the Galactic Constitution’s clauses on the electability and term limits of legislators. It is very important to note that the Senate’s role remains the same, and it still retains its power of a no-confidence vote in the Emperor, so really, nothing major is happening. The notions of the Empire being a totalitarian dictatorship are completely unfounded, I would say.”_

_“So you’re saying that the Emperor, if elected, would still be held accountable by the Senate.”_

_“That is correct, Poy. If anything, with a more centralized government, we, the regular citizens, should see an increase in the government’s efficiency in responding to our requests.”_

_“Well, there you have it, folks. Given that an overwhelming majority of senators and governors are very supportive of the idea, I would say that we have nothing to worry about in the upcoming change. Next up, we will discuss the implications of the three-year Clone War coming to an end, and the smartest real estate investments across the galaxy, so stay tuned. We will be right back after a commercial break!”_

All of that flies right over Jongin’s head. Politics has never been his strong suit; he didn’t even vote in the last general election. Not that it would change anything, of course, since Mygeeto has always been in the hands of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. They’ve rigged every election since before Jongin’s parents were born, so really, there’s no point in voting.

Shaking his head, Jongin stands up from his seat and walks over to the bar at the front deck of the ship.

“How can I help you, sir?” the Togruta bartender asks him in a cheerful voice.

“A bloody rancor, no bone,” Jongin replies absentmindedly.

“A boneless bloody rancor coming right up,” the Togruta nods. “That will be forty credits.”

Jongin quickly pays for his drink and relaxes in the seat. He’d buy something for Kyungsoo, but he knows the Jedi will just refuse alcohol anyway, so he doesn’t bother.

“Now, what is a fine man such as yourself doing alone on a ship like this?” says a deep voice next to him. Jongin looks to his right and freezes when he sees a tall, handsome Zabrak leaning against a counter. He’s wearing beskar plate armor, complete with shoulder pads, arm protectors, and a blaster rifle on his back.

A bounty hunter.

“Just… chilling,” Jongin replies warily. “Why?”

“Nothing,” the Zabrak shrugs, a playful smirk forming on his lips. “Just wondering if you wanted some… _company_.”

Oh boy.

Now, Jongin’s had a fair share of suitors in the past. As a bartender himself, working in one of the busiest cantinas in all of Mygeeto, plenty of folks of all species and sexes have propositioned to him, but he’s always been able to effortlessly hold them off. But that was because he was in his element, in his bar, with his armed security team around him.

Here, on the three hundred feet long transport ship to Corellia, he was no one. There was nothing stopping the bounty hunter from doing whatever the hell he wanted to do with him.

He really should’ve thought this trip through.

“I’ll have a Spice Runner Hard Cider,” the Zabrak tells the bartender before turning back to Jongin, a predatory glint in his eyes. “The name’s Chanyeol, by the way. Who might you be?”

“J-Jongin,” Jongin replies nervously. He grabs the freshly-made drink from the bartender and gulps it down.

“Pretty name for a pretty boy,” Chanyeol purrs. “So, tell me, _Jongin_ , what brings you to Corellia?”

“Business,” Jongin lies. “I’m… looking for work.”

“I guess Mygeeto is in pretty bad shape,” Chanyeol concedes. “But, you know, starting from scratch on a new planet can be quite… dangerous. I know of a few ways you could make credits, much faster, and in a much safer way.”

“Really,” Jongin clears his throat uncomfortably. _Please don’t go there, please don’t go there, please don’t—_

“Tell you what, if you show me a good time in my cabin, you might find yourself a few thousand credits richer,” Chanyeol smirks.

Jongin wants to punch the guy in his teeth, but that probably wouldn’t end very well for him. He can’t fight and he knows it. If it were just a random drunkard, then maybe he could win, but this is a bounty hunter, for fuck’s sake!

Then, salvation comes from the unlikeliest source.

“Is there a problem?” a soft and soothing voice says behind his back.

Jongin spins around, looking at Kyungsoo thankfully.

“None of your business, shorty,” Chanyeol scoffs.

“Really?” Kyungsoo cocks his head. “From the looks of it, you were flirting with my husband.”

“Your husband,” Chanyeol repeats before erupting in laughter. “Whoa, really? Jongin, you’re married to this wimp?”

Before Jongin can even register what’s going on, Kyungsoo moves so fast that his eyes can’t even follow the movement. In one moment, he’s just glaring at Chanyeol, and in the next, Chanyeol’s on the ground, wincing in pain as Kyungsoo stands behind him, twisting one of Chanyeol’s long arms around.

“Fuck, shit, chill out, man!” Chanyeol groans. Kyungsoo lets him go, and Chanyeol slowly scrambles back to his feet. “Dude, what the hell? I was just… wait a second.”

He stares at Kyungsoo’s face for several seconds, and then, in a low whisper, he says. “Aren’t you Master Billaba’s student?”

Jongin’s eyes widen in horror when he sees Kyungsoo reach inside his robe, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of his deadly weapon, but before he pulls it out, Chanyeol quickly raises his hands up in the air in surrender.

“No, I’m not your enemy,” the bounty hunter shakes his head quickly. “I promise.”

Kyungsoo keeps his arm inside his robe, his eyes boring into Chanyeol’s. After several seconds of tension, he relaxes and pulls away from the hidden lightsaber. “Explain yourself.”

“Not here,” Chanyeol mutters. “Follow me.”

Jongin doesn’t know why Kyungsoo trusts the man, but it’s probably another one of his Jedi tricks. The two of them wordlessly follow after Chanyeol, who leads them all the way to the front of the ship, where first-class passengers have their private cabins. He opens one of them and ushers them inside.

“Here, we can talk,” Chanyeol says, collapsing onto his bed. “I’ve already checked for bugs.”

Kyungsoo takes a sweeping look around and nods. “It is clear. Now, tell me: how do you know Master Billaba and me?”

“You don’t know me, obviously,” Chanyeol begins, “and I almost didn’t recognize you, either, but I’ve seen your face before. Younger. Master Billaba had a recording of you sparring with her on her holocamera. Said you were her Padawan.”

“You’ve met her,” Kyungsoo states.

“Yes,” Chanyeol nods. “I met her on Haruun Kal and we traveled through the jungle together for some time. She was such a wise person. I only heard about what happened to her recently.”

Kyungsoo nods his head. “She found her peace.”

There’s clearly a backstory here that Jongin’s missing out on, but he doesn’t dare ask. Chanyeol looks sad, and Kyungsoo looks… the same. His lack of emotional expression is seriously starting to creep Jongin out.

“So, I’m guessing you’re not going to Corellia to start a business,” Chanyeol says after a while.

“No,” Kyungsoo confirms.

“Well, maybe I can help you?” Chanyeol offers. “I have connections everywhere around the galaxy.”

“That will not be necessary,” Kyungsoo rejects him flatly. “The fewer people know of my plans, the better.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Chanyeol shrugs. He pulls out a small chip and hands it to Kyungsoo. “But if you ever change your mind, you can contact me. I owe my life to Master Billaba. I’d like to repay the favor to her pupil.”

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo smiles slightly.

“Well, good luck on your mission,” Chanyeol says, taking a deep breath, before turning to Jongin with a grin. “So, now that we’ve established you guys are not actually husbands, my offer still stands, pretty boy. Want me to show you a good time?”

“No, he’ll be fine,” Kyungsoo replies before Jongin can say anything. “Good day, Chanyeol.”

“Ah, had to try,” Chanyeol shrugs. “Good day to you two, too. And stay safe.”


	2. Corellia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed my mind. Here's an early update!

For someone who’s never left his home system before, stepping foot onto Corellia is a surreal experience. Everything just seems  _ different. _ The streets were wide, the buildings were plain and sharp, the air was filled with the sound of heavy machinery working overtime in the distance, and there was just so much smog everywhere.

“So, what now?” Jongin asks, looking around.

“We need to… procure an unregistered ship,” Kyungsoo replies.

“And how are we going to do that?”

Kyungsoo looks at him with a blank face. “We wing it.”

“Ah,” Jongin nods. “Wing it. Gotcha.”

Yes, the Coruscant infiltration plan that Kyungsoo spent two weeks coming up with boils down to  _ wing it. _

Great.

The two of them walk with the crowd, blending in seamlessly. Jongin’s eyes dart from side to side; being in an industrial city like Coronet City makes him squeamish. He tries not to bump into anyone as he walks through the streets on the ground, staring wistfully at the speeders blazing above their heads.

“Are you sure we can’t just get one of those?” Jongin asks.

“No, we’re not going far,” Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“So we’re looking for something specific.”

“No, not quite.”

Jongin sighs. “Can’t you be any more cryptic about this?”

Kyungsoo stops and turns around. Jongin gulps when the Jedi’s eyes land on him and averts his gaze. “Forget I said anything.”

“I am looking for an old acquaintance,” Kyungsoo says. “However, I don’t know where he is. All I know is that he’s somewhere in Coronet City.”

“Oh,” Jongin says, clearing his throat. “Well, uh, thanks for explaining that to me.”

“You’re welcome,” Kyungsoo replies. He scans the area around the spaceport with his eyes slowly, before his eyes lock on a door to an unassuming lounge. “There. We’ll start there.”

Jongin follows after the Jedi. The vibe inside is completely different from Jongin’s cantina—it’s clearly aimed at young patrons looking to party all night. Even in the early morning hours, the music’s blasting on full volume, and there are dozens of dancers packed on the dance floor. Kyungsoo somehow manages to gracefully waltz right through the crowd without bumping into anyone, something Jongin struggles with great difficulty.

Finally, they reach the bar, which is manned by a Twi’lek woman dressed in what looks suspiciously like a maid costume.

“Excuse me,” Kyungsoo yells loudly so that he’s heard through the music.

“What can I get you, gentlemen?” she asks in a sultry voice.

“We’re looking for… information,” Kyungsoo replies. “I’m looking for the Night’s Blade.”

The barmaid scoffs at him, her voice souring. “I do not give out information on my patrons. Bugger off.”

“This is not how you do it,” Jongin shakes his head in exasperation. He pulls out his credit chip, slamming it on the bar. “We can be… generous.”

The Twi’lek’s expression softens, but she shakes her head. “Sorry, lad, but I really can’t give out any information on my customers.”

Kyungsoo glances at Jongin, a smirk forming on his lips. “This is how you do it. Watch and learn.”

He clears his throat loudly to attract the barmaid’s attention again, and, while staring directly into her eyes, he repeats. “I’m looking for information on the Night’s Blade.”

Jongin notices that as he says that, his fingers do a weird sliding motion.

The barmaid’s pupils dilate for a brief moment before she snaps back to attention. “Ah, yes. The Night’s Blade. I suppose telling you a little detail about him would be harmless. For a thousand credits, that is.”

Jongin sighs as he surrenders the amount.

“Right,” the woman grins when the transaction goes through. “Well, actually, I haven’t seen him lately. Ever since the war ended, he’s been… moody.”

“Because of his business?” Kyungsoo asks.

“Of course,” the Twi’lek laughs. “He’s Corellia’s top gun-for-hire, after all. His demand nearly quadrupled during the war since both sides needed his services.”

“The Republic hired assassins?” Jongin gawks.

“That’s war, sweetie,” she smiles at him. “There’s no good or bad guys. Just a winner and a loser.”

“I need to find him,” Kyungsoo says. “Where can I find him?”

“If you want to hire him, just go through the standard process,” she shrugs. “He’s got a site on the HoloNet.”

“No, I need to meet him in person,” Kyungsoo clarifies. “Fast.”

The barmaid bites her lip. “Well, he used to come here whenever he got back from a job, but I haven’t seen him in weeks now. Though a year and a half ago, I think he mentioned he’s moving to the Monsoon District.”

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo smiles faintly. “That will be all. We never talked.”

“Of course we haven’t, do you think I’d tell anyone I ratted out on one of my patrons?” the Twi’lek scoffs. “Now, off you go.”

With that, the two of them leave the lounge.

~

“That thing with the fingers,” Jongin starts when they’re sitting in a deserted wagon of a train, “is that, like, mind control?”

“Of course not,” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Mind control is a dark side technique. That was a mind trick.”

“And that’s different how?” Jongin asks.

“Mind controlling is a technique used to overwhelm and bend the will of the target,” Kyungsoo explains. “Mind trick is merely… presenting a suggestion in the target’s mind.”

Jongin doesn’t really see a difference between the two, but he doesn’t press it. It seems Kyungsoo believes firmly in the divide between the dark side and the light side, and who is he, a non-force user, to question that?

So, instead, he changes the topic. “Um, so why are we looking for an assassin?”

“Baekhyun is an old acquaintance,” Kyungsoo replies, a small smile forming on his lips.

“Oh?” Jongin raises an eyebrow, his cheeks puffing up. “And when you say acquaintance, you mean like, you were  _ involved _ or—”

“We met on a mission,” Kyungsoo says. “I was his target.”

“What?” Jongin gawks. “But then—”

“He did not succeed,” Kyungsoo smirks.

Jongin does a double-take. Is the Jedi  _ gloating _ right now?

“Anyway, we’re here,” Kyungsoo says chirpily as he hops up to his feet. “Come!”

Jongin can’t help but feel slightly jealous that Kyungsoo’s so eager to meet someone. He supposes that it’s a normal reaction to meeting a friend or something, but Kyungsoo’s never shown even the slightest hint of emotion, not even when Jongin told him about the purge of his Order. And yet here he is, looking positively excited to see a hitman who tried to take him out in the past?

“How are we going to find him, though?” Jongin asks when they get off the train. The district is full of high-rise buildings, each with  _ thousands _ of units.

“He’ll live in the tallest building on the top floor,” Kyungsoo says as if it was the most obvious fact.

Jongin suspects that there’s something more to the story, because how the hell would Kyungsoo know all of these details? But he shakes his head and follows after Kyungsoo anyway.

“Stop right there,” a pair of security droids stop them when they try to enter the thousands of feet tall tower in the middle of the district. “State your business.”

“We are visiting a friend who lives here,” Kyungsoo says. “Is there a problem?”

“All visitors must have their identities verified before entering the residence,” one of the droids says. “Please verify your identity and confirm the residence number you wish to visit.”

“Oh, is that so?” Kyungsoo mutters. “Well, let me, uh, call my friend and see what this fuss is all about.” He then turns to Jongin. “Do you want to wait here?”

“Uh, sure?” Jongin frowns. He watches as Kyungsoo disappears behind a bush, and, while the droids are not looking,  _ jumps _ on one of the ledges on the third floor.

He knows Jedi tend to defy gravity, but this is a bit too much. With a mouth open, Jongin stares as Kyungsoo effortlessly makes his way up the side of the tower with one impossible jump after another.

“Well,” he says after a while, remembering that the security droids are still looking at him. “What lovely weather we have today, right?”

“There is an 87 percent chance of acid rain within the next two hours,” a droid tells him. “All organic beings are advised to stay inside.”

“Right.”

Kyungsoo’s now so high up that Jongin can’t see him anymore. So he stands there, patiently waiting while the two droids continue to watch him as if he was about to commit a high crime any moment.

Ten minutes later, finally, the door opens on the inside, and Kyungsoo walks out with another human right next to him. The man is dressed in a very intricately decorated—probably hand-sewn—silk robe with golden threads running through both sides.

“Stand down,” the man orders the droids.

“Roger, roger,” the droids say in unison and offer the man a jerky motion Jongin assumes is supposed to be a bow.

“Come, Jongin,” Kyungsoo tells him.

Jongin blinks and follows after him. Once he’s inside and the door closes behind him, the man turns around and eyes Jongin from head to toe. “Now, where’d you dig this one up?”

“This one has a name, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says sternly, though there’s a playful smile on his lips. It’s driving Jongin crazy how much emotion Kyungsoo is showing around this man when he’s worn the same distant face around Jongin for weeks. “Jongin, meet Baekhyun, the infamous Night’s Blade. Baekhyun, meet Jongin. I owe him my life.”

“Oh?” Baekhyun raises his eyebrow. “Well, what did you do that for? The world would be better off without his pouty face any—OUCH!”

Baekhyun glares at Kyungsoo, rubbing the back of his head where Kyungsoo’s just smacked him.

“Baekhyun is also my half-brother,” Kyungsoo adds.

Oh.

Well,  _ that _ explains things.

“ _ Anyway _ ,” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “You two, follow me. The less people see your face, the lower the chances of the Emperor’s forces barging into my penthouse. Let’s go.”

They take the elevator all the way up to the highest floor, just as Kyungsoo said. Now it suddenly makes sense how Kyungsoo knew so much about his  _ acquaintance _ . Jongin watches with his mouth gaping when they enter an extremely luxurious penthouse with force-field windows overlooking  _ all _ of Coronet City.

From up here, it doesn’t actually look that bad.

“Welcome,” another male voice says, and Jongin notices a tall man sitting on the sofa with a glass of what smells suspiciously like Alderaan honey brandy in his hand. Fuck. Jongin’s never even gotten a  _ taste _ of it. But then again, a single bottle costs four months of his salary.

“Jongin, this is Sehun, my husband,” Baekhyun introduces him. “Sehun, this is Jongin, the idiot who saved Kyungsoo from death, apparently.”

“Well, thank you, Jongin, for saving my brother-in-law,” Sehun smiles at him. “Can I offer you anything to drink?”

Jongin’s lips twitch. “Um, anything is good, thanks.”

Sehun grins at him and walks over to the alcohol cabinet, and Jongin almost lets out a whimper when Sehun indeed pulls out a bottle of Alderaan honey brandy. He can die happy now.

“Do you realize what you’ve done, Jongin?” Baekhyun asks him, his arms crossed. “You helped a Jedi. Under the emergency act, that’s high treason.”

Jongin looks at the man. “But I couldn’t just let him die.”

“You really found yourself a nice idiot,” Baekhyun scoffs as he walks over to where Sehun is and pours himself a glass as well.

“Well, you’re helping us now, too,” Jongin says confrontationally.

“Yeah, cuz I’m a nice idiot, too,” Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “Sehun, are you sure we can’t just report them to the authorities?”

“Be nice, Baekhyun,” Sehun scolds him as he hands Jongin the drink. “Don’t be a sore loser.”

“Sore loser?!” Baekhyun puffs. “No, I’m not!”

Sehun turns to Kyungsoo. “Now, seriously though. What brings you to us? Last time we spoke, you made it sound like we’d never see you again.”

“I’m desperate,” Kyungsoo says simply. “I need to get back on Coruscant. You two are my only way there.”

Baekhyun and Sehun exchange glances.

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says slowly. “The Temple has fallen. The Jedi are no more.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo mutters. “That’s not why I’m going.”

“So the rumors must be true,” Sehun says grimly.

“Rumors?” Baekhyun frowns. “You know something?”

“I talked to a few former coworkers,” Sehun explains. “They said that day when… you know, the purge happened. The Chancellor was visited by four Jedi Masters, led by Mace Windu.”

“You’re saying that four Jedi Masters, including Windu, somehow failed to kill Palpatine,” Baekhyun furrows his eyebrows. “No, that can’t be true. Not unless—”

“Not unless Palpatine is a Sith,” Kyungsoo finishes his sentence.

“Well shit,” Baekhyun curses. He knocks down the contents of his glass at once. “You really wanna die, huh?”

“It’s my calling,” Kyungsoo says solemnly. “I cannot allow the Sith to take over the galaxy.”

“What do you need from us?” Sehun asks.

“I need an unregistered ship to get me to Coruscant,” Kyungsoo replies. “And I need a way into the Chancellor’s Office.”

“They’re monitoring all inbound and outbound ships from the capital,” Baekhyun shakes his head. “They’ll shoot you down the moment you try to approach the planet.”

“That can’t be legal,” Jongin exclaims.

“It is,” Sehun shakes his head. “Ever since the second assassination attempt on the Chancellor last week.”

“Wait, I haven’t heard of this,” Kyungsoo frowns. “Second?”

“They’re keeping it quiet,” Sehun replies. “Only a handful senators on the security council know of it.”

“And you’re friends with them, I assume,” Kyungsoo nods.

Sehun just shrugs. “Anyway, I can’t help you with access to the Chancellor, either. He’s completely replaced all of the personnel.”

“Then I must find another way,” Kyungsoo sighs. “Thanks for your help, though.”

“Stay,” Baekhyun tells him. “Just for a few days. Give us some time to come up with something.”

“Fine.”

~

When Kyungsoo changes his clothes for bed later that night, Jongin realizes that the extents of Kyungsoo’s injuries were far greater than what Kyungsoo let on.

“It’s not healing,” Jongin says when he stares at the two scorched areas on Kyungsoo’s chest.

“No, it’s not,” Kyungsoo confirms.

“Come on, you should have a medical droid look over it,” Jongin says. “Maybe we should put you in a bacta tank and—”

“We do not have time for that,” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “The longer we wait, the more power the Sith amass, and the harder it will be to remove them.”

“But you can’t possibly fight him without your full strength at your disposal!” Jongin argues.

“I will be fine,” Kyungsoo says dismissively. “The Force will aid me.”

“Well, the Force might, but physics won’t,” Jongin grunts angrily. “Here, let me at least take a look at it.”

He grabs a few towels, some bandages, and a bottle of ointment from the medical cabinet. “See, Sehun even keeps some bacta gel on hand. Let’s see if this helps a bit.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t argue and lets Jongin treat him. For the next twenty minutes, they sit in silence, interrupted only by Jongin gently applying the healing gel on Kyungsoo’s wounds. Honestly, Jongin has no idea how Kyungsoo’s still even alive after taking two shots. He’s so lucky that both of them missed his heart and his lungs because there would be no recovering from that.

“Why do you care for me so much?” Kyungsoo asks when Jongin starts wrapping his wounds in bandages.

“Because,” Jongin huffs, “it was the right thing to do.”

“You know I cannot return your feelings.”

Jongin’s hands freeze. He slowly looks up at Kyungsoo’s face, who’s looking back at him with an unreadable expression.

“You knew.”

“It was an educated guess,” Kyungsoo says, looking away. “Be it as it may, I cannot pursue this.”

Jongin’s throat goes dry. “Why?”

“Because it’s against the Jedi Code.”

Jongin closes his eyes. “Kyungsoo, the Jedi are gone. You don’t—”

“There is no emotion, there is peace,” Kyungsoo recites.

“And you have emotions!” Jongin growls angrily. “You clearly do feel  _ something _ for your brother.”

“There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity—”

“How can you live like that?” Jongin snaps at him. “Everyone has feelings, no matter how deep you bury them!”

“—There is no chaos, there is harmony,” Kyungsoo continues.

“You don’t have to stick to those rules,” Jongin snarls. “It’s not like there’s anyone left to enforce them.”

“—There is no death, there is the Force,” Kyungsoo finishes. He takes a deep breath and opens his eyes again, and for the first time, his stiff expression cracks. Suddenly, Jongin can see it—no, he can _ feel _ it. There is so much sadness and pain flowing through Kyungsoo’s eyes that it completely overwhelms Jongin’s mind.

“The Jedi Code is not just a set of rules we follow,” Kyungsoo says finally, his voice cracking. “It is our way of life. It is a part of us. It is who we are.”

“Well, maybe that’s the fucking problem,” Jongin mutters, his eyes watering. “Maybe if the Jedi could think outside their box for a second, none of this would have happened.”

“But then we wouldn’t be the Jedi,” Kyungsoo mutters. “And if we’re not Jedi, then what’s the point?”

Jongin throws his hands up in surrender. “You know what? Fine. Forget it. Do your Jedi thing. It’s none of my business. Good night, Master Jedi.”

Kyungsoo lets out a sigh. “Good night, Jongin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 & Epilogue will be posted tomorrow! Now, all the build-up is done, and the next chapter will see plenty of action. Stay tuned!


	3. Coruscant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than expected. Shit happened over the weekend. But here you go anyway, and I hope you enjoy~

“Are you sure that’s where we should be heading?” Jongin asks warily as their speeder approaches the rubbles of what used to be the Jedi Temple.

“I need to check,” Kyungsoo says distractedly.

Two weeks have passed since they arrived on Corellia. In the end, the plan presented itself to them when Sehun received a summons from the Imperial Capital to return to work. Apparently, with a new regime, new rules were the norm, and even retired government employees could be ordered back to work.

So Jongin and Kyungsoo tagged along with Sehun. With Sehun being a pretty high-ranking official before his early retirement, the security measures were a little laxer, and Kyungsoo and Jongin got away with acting like his attendants. Sehun also promised to help Kyungsoo infiltrate the Senate Building, so Jongin and Kyungsoo lay low in an unassuming cantina in the slums of Coruscant to escape any prying eyes for several days.

That is, until moments ago when Kyungsoo sat up from his bed dead in the middle of the night and announced that he just  _ had _ to visit the Jedi Temple ruins.

“You saw that recording,” Jongin tried to reason with him, referring to the holorecording broadcast for several days from the temple before being cut off, in which a Jedi Master (was his name Kenichi? Kenooli? Something like that) urged all remaining Jedi to stay as far away from the Temple as possible.

“I must see it for myself,” Kyungsoo brushed him off, and that’s how they find themselves here, at the base of a grand staircase leading to the ruins of what once was the center of enlightenment of the galaxy.

“I’m getting a really bad feeling,” Jongin mutters to no one in particular.

As they enter the Temple, Jongin thinks he’s going to puke. Sure, the bodies have since been removed, but the evidence of a great battle is still very much present. There are charred spots everywhere on the floors, on the walls, on the broken pillars—then there are traces of lightsabers cutting into things, and blood; oh, the bloodstains.

“They were just children,” Kyungsoo says softly as he examines the battlefield. “Most trained Jedi were off-world, fighting the war for the Republic. Only our youngest and their trainers were left in the Temple.”

They continue to move through the Temple. Jongin can’t even imagine how it must feel for Kyungsoo to see his former home in this state. As they get on the last still functioning elevator, realization dawns on Jongin.

This was not just an order to eliminate the Republic’s enemies.

This was a mass slaughter.

“Here,” Kyungsoo mutters, stretching out his arm. “Hold onto me if it gets too much.”

Jongin grabs the offered arm gratefully, and they ride the rest of the way to the rooftop in silence. Once the elevator stops, Kyungsoo leads the two of them through a maze of corridors and out into a rooftop garden.

“It’s… it’s not damaged,” Jongin breathes out when his eyes adjust to the darkness. The trees and flower bushes are untouched, a rare sight of beautiful scenery in an otherwise ruined building.

“I doubt anyone set foot up here,” Kyungsoo tells him. “This was my Master’s garden. I had to come here and check if she’s still here.”

“Your Master is here?” Jongin asks, his eyes widening. “Alive?”

“Alive, yes,” Kyungsoo nods solemnly. “I can still feel her presence.”

Jongin frowns. If she’s alive, why does Kyungsoo sound so sad? However, as they approach the middle of the garden, the answer becomes apparent.

Right in the center of the garden, there’s a water fountain, and in front of the fountain, there’s a stasis pod. Inside the pod, a beautiful woman lies, her eyes closed and her arms crossed over her chest. There are several jewels pierced on her forehead and nose, giving her a look of serene grace.

“Jongin, meet Master Depa Billaba, my former teacher,” Kyungsoo introduces her.

“She’s… so graceful,” Jongin gasps. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to… but….”

“She does have the aura, doesn’t she,” Kyungsoo smiles warmly at him. “Once, she was considered the most enlightened Jedi of our time.”

“What happened to her?” Jongin asks.

“The war,” Kyungsoo says simply. “The war broke her. She’s always been so attuned to the people around her and the environment. When she saw the suffering the war caused… she took it harder than any of us. She fell to the dark side, and this is all that we have left of her.”

“I don’t understand,” Jongin frowns. “Is she in a coma or something?”

“Worse,” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “She shut herself away from the Force. We can no longer reach her.”

“I’m sorry,” Jongin mutters.

“Chanyeol might have been the last person to see her sane,” Kyungsoo says after a while. “Hmm. Maybe he’d like to see her off, too.”

With that, Kyungsoo pulls out his commlink and plugs in the chip Chanyeol gave him. They wait for a few seconds before the holographic image of Chanyeol flickers to life.

“Who is—oh, hey there,” Chanyeol says, his voice distorted.

“Hello, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo smiles weakly. “I remembered that you said you admired my Master.”

“I do,” Chanyeol replies. “But what— _ oh _ .” Chanyeol’s eyes widen when Kyungsoo shows him the stasis pod. “Is—is this how she—but how are you—wait, are you at the Jedi Temple?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo nods. “I needed to see if she’s still here, and if she were, to… take care of her.”

Despite his choice of words, Jongin understands  _ exactly _ what the broken Jedi means by that. And so does Chanyeol.

“Wait, let me at least say goodbye to her,” Chanyeol interrupts him. “I’m on Coruscant right now, too. I can be there in a few.”

“Hurry up,” Kyungsoo tells him, putting the device down. “Because it appears that we have company.”

Jongin’s eyes widen in fear when Kyungsoo pulls out his lightsaber.

“Hide,” Kyungsoo tells him. “Behind the fountain.”

Jongin nods and ducks behind the stasis pod, grabbing the small pistol Sehun gave him for self-defense earlier from his pocket.

“Is that you, Kyungsoo?” a male voice says slowly.

“Junmyeon?”

Jongin glances above briefly. He spots another man, wearing a Jedi robe, walking cautiously towards them.

“You survived,” Junmyeon says, surprised.

“So did you,” Kyungsoo states. “How?”

“Well, I wasn’t inside the Temple at the time,” Junmyeon replies, frowning. “Master Ti sent me on an errand. What about you, though? Weren’t you on a mission?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo nods slowly. He visibly relaxes and starts to approach the newcomer.

And that’s when Jongin sees it. In the far corner of the garden, behind two flowering bushes, there are four clone troopers, weapons drawn and aiming directly at the two Jedi. Jongin wants to warn Kyungsoo about the imminent danger, but he’s too late, and a barrage of blaster shots pierce the darkness of the night.

At that exact same time, the stasis pod explodes with so much force it knocks both of the Jedi and Jongin off their feet. When Jongin comes to, he realizes that the force of the blast swept Kyungsoo off of his spot, thanks to which he was able to avoid being blown to pieces by the laser shots.

Jongin doesn’t see much in the dark, but he hears the distinctive lightsaber ignition sound twice, and before he knows what’s going on, Kyungsoo jumps directly at the soldiers’ hiding spot. There are several flashes of blue and purple light and then, there’s silence.

Jongin looks up and is relieved to see that the only two light sources left are the purple and the blue lightsabers. He’s about to say something when suddenly, Junmyeon charges, and the two sabers cross.

And that’s when Jongin realizes with horror that Junmyeon is not their ally.

“What are you doing?!” Jongin hears Kyungsoo yell.

“Killing the last Jedi,” Junmyeon roars and viciously slashes at Kyungsoo, who’s forced to retreat from the onslaught of attacks.

“You betrayed the Order,” Kyungsoo growls angrily. “Why?”

“There’s no more Order, Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon spits out. “You either join the Emperor or you die. It’s that simple.”

Kyungsoo jumps away from the dark Jedi and lands right next to Jongin’s hiding spot. With an angry shout, Junmyeon lunges after him. Kyungsoo waves his free hand, and broken pieces of the stasis pod shoot off from the ground, hitting Junmyeon square in the chest. Junmyeon screams in agony and collapses onto the ground, spires of metal protruding from his chest.

“Betrayer,” Kyungsoo says, fury written all over his face.

“N-no, don’t kill me,” Junmyeon gargles, blood filling his mouth. “I s-surrender.”

Kyungsoo holds his purple saber at Junmyeon’s throat, his whole body shaking. “You betrayed the Jedi. How many others have you killed?”

“Revenge is not the way,” Junmyeon squirms.

“Agh!” Kyungsoo yells and swings his blade—right next to Junmyeon’s head. Even despite all of this, Jongin realizes, Kyungsoo still can’t abandon the Jedi teachings.

“Come,” Kyungsoo tells Jongin. “We’re getting out of here.”

Jongin stands up and is about to follow Kyungsoo away when  _ something _ makes him glance back at Junmyeon. The man, bleeding severely, is slowly stretching out his fingers. Jongin’s gaze travels further, and with horror, he sees Junmyeon’s lightsaber three feet away hovering above the ground, slowly aiming itself at Kyungsoo’s back.

And so Jongin does the most logical and most horrific thing he’s ever done in his life. He raises his blaster and shoots Junmyeon in the chest.

Kyungsoo spins around, just in time to see the lightsaber dropping to the ground as Junmyeon remains on the ground, lifeless.

“He—how did you—?”

“I don’t know,” Jongin says, trembling all over. “I just—he was—I just felt this—I don’t know how—”

Kyungsoo places a hand on Jongin’s shoulder, and Jongin immediately feels a sense of warm calmness wash over him. “I think I know what happened.”

He then walks over to the broken stasis pod and holds the hand of his former Master. “Thank you, Master.”

Jongin swears he sees the woman’s fingers wrap around Kyungsoo’s hand, but in the darkness, it could just be his imagination. Kyungsoo lets her go and re-ignites his lightsaber. Jongin quickly looks away before he can see the purple blade connect with the woman’s body. Then, Kyungsoo puts his weapon away and walks back over to Jongin. “We need to leave,  _ now _ .”

His voice is shaking, as is his body. Jongin wants to say something, but at that exact moment, the garden entrance swings open once more, and dozens of Republic soldiers rush in and start shooting.

Kyungsoo ignites his lightsaber yet again, deflecting several shots. He wraps his other hand around Jongin’s waist, and much to Jongin’s horror, he leaps twice, once to the edge of the tower, and the second time  _ off _ of the tower.

They’re several hundred feet above the ground. Jongin feels the wind tearing into him, and they’re falling so fast, and the street below them is getting bigger and bigger, and surely, any moment now, they’ll splatter against the ground, just like bugs splatter against force fields of high-speed speeders.

Jongin closes his eyes just when he expects the impact, but it never comes—instead, Kyungsoo lands effortlessly on his feet and starts running, as if he’d just leaped over a small obstacle on the ground and not from the top of a building.

But Jongin doesn’t have the time to process the impossibility of their situation, because not even seconds after Kyungsoo gets him back on his own feet, Jongin spots several armed speeders flying after them.

“This way!” Kyungsoo yells, and Jongin doesn’t need to be told twice. They dash through the busy streets, trying to lose their pursuers by diving into one busy crowd after another. Jongin’s heart’s beating faster than ever before in his life, but he keeps running, because he knows the moment he stops, he and Kyungsoo are done for. Their only advantage is that by hiding among civilians, the soldiers don’t dare to shoot blindly at them.

Kyungsoo suddenly makes a sharp turn left and drags Jongin after him, pushing him flat against a wall. Jongin doesn’t know what the fuck Kyungsoo is thinking—surely, now they’re done for, no?

It appears that once again, Jongin underestimated the extent of Kyungsoo’s powers, because the speeders keep flying straight, ignoring the two very obvious wall-huggers.

“What—”

“Shh,” Kyungsoo silences him with his arm. Then, he leans closer to Jongin’s ear, and whispers simply. “Invisibility.”

Jongin blinks twice.  _ What now? _

After a few seconds, when the sound of the speeders is all but distant rumble, Kyungsoo finally lets go of Jongin. “Okay, this way.”

They enter a dark alley, illuminated only by the lights of the skyscrapers above them. Kyungsoo collapses onto the ground, panting heavily. “That—that was exhausting.”

“Most impressive, Shadow,” a muffled, mechanical voice says behind them, and the two of them spin around to see a man in black armor with a strange helmet that covers his whole face. The lower half of the helmet is a huge air filtering device that makes very loud sounds every time the wearer breathes in or out.

“You must be Darth Vader,” Kyungsoo says, squinting his eyes.

“You are well informed, Kyungsoo Do,” Vader says. “It seems that you already understand the situation. Let us not waste time. Join me or be killed.”

Kyungsoo pulls out his lightsaber again and ignites it, illuminating the area with a purple glow.

Vader pulls out his own sword and turns it on, its red glow sending shivers down Jongin’s back.

They both stand still, staring each other down for a few seconds, and then all hell breaks loose. Jongin’s eyes can’t even track the fight; they’re moving too fast for him to follow along. One second, Kyungsoo’s slashing violently at the armored man; the next, he’s retreating, barely managing to block the other’s powerful swings.

They exchange blow for blow, with Kyungsoo dancing around the man, trying desperately to find an opening but finding none. After what feels like hours but could’ve only been a few seconds, the two retreat from each other again, both panting heavily.

“I recognize that technique,” Kyungsoo growls. “You’re clearly not used to your new body yet, but your swordsmanship betrays you. I should’ve known all of this happened because of you,  _ Skywalker _ .”

The name rings a bell in Jongin’s mind. He’s sure he heard it in passing somewhere, but where?

“Your clones reported you dead, Do,” Vader parries. “Clearly, they were wrong.”

“Why?” Kyungsoo hisses. “Why would you betray us? What have we done to you?”

“Nothing,” Vader replies. “And that’s exactly why.”

Their swords clash again, and this time Jongin has to move away so that he doesn’t end up in the way of the chaotic fight. They’re running and jumping all over the place, using the various nooks and crannies of the alley to their advantage.

At one point, Kyungsoo manages to cut Vader’s hand—which turns out to be mechanical, Jongin realizes when two fingers drop to the ground with a few sparks. Vader doesn’t even flinch and retaliates, cutting a deep wound in Kyungsoo’s shoulder. Kyungsoo recoils in pain, staggering backward and dropping his weapon.

“Your resistance is futile,” Vader says, closing in on Kyungsoo. “I will not repeat myself. Join the Empire or—”

Whatever threat Vader was about to make never materializes because, at that exact moment, a speeder descends onto the valley. Vader looks up just in time to jump away as the speeder’s pilot starts rapidly firing at him with a military-grade blaster cannon.

“Come, quick!” a familiar deep voice shouts, and as it descends almost all the way down to the ground, Jongin finally recognizes the pilot to be none other than Chanyeol, the Zabrak bounty hunter they met on the transport ship from Mygeeto.

Jongin doesn’t need to be told twice. He hurries over to Kyungsoo and drags him over to the vehicle. Then, he ducks down, grabs the fallen lightsaber, and hops onto the speeder just as Vader leaps towards them, his crimson saber glowing menacingly. He’s way too fast for Chanyeol to adjust the angle of the cannon. Is this it? Is this their end?

Kyungsoo roars, and with his uninjured hand, he punches forward, and an invisible force knocks Vader backward, away from them. Chanyeol takes the opportunity to steer the speeder backward and shoots up into the air, leaving the dark alley behind.

“Shit, that was close,” Chanyeol pants. “What the hell was that?”

“The ‘Chosen One,’” Kyungsoo spits out, wincing.

Jongin immediately checks Kyungsoo’s wound. There’s a long cut running all the way from the top of Kyungsoo’s right shoulder blade down to his lower back, but at least the lightsaber cauterized it close, so he’s not bleeding anywhere.

“Is he one of Count Dooku’s disciples?” Chanyeol asks.

“Worse,” Kyungsoo hisses. “How did you find us, anyway?”

“Well, when I got to the temple, it was swarming with soldiers,” Chanyeol explains. “And I saw a few of them running around the streets, so I thought I’d follow them. But then they seemed to have lost your track, so I turned back, and then I saw the lightsabers, so I took the chance.”

“Well, you’ve saved my life today,” Kyungsoo mutters. “Consider your debt to my late Master to be repaid.”

“We’re not out of the water yet,” Chanyeol shakes his head. “They’re probably already following our trail. We need to get rid of this speeder. Do you have anywhere we can hide?”

“There’s a cantina down in the former Black Sun district,” Jongin says. “We should be able to disappear there.”

“Okay,” Chanyeol nods.

~

“Is that gonna heal?” Chanyeol asks, arms crossed as he watches Jongin bandage up Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Eventually,” Kyungsoo nods curtly. “I need to meditate.”

“Don’t ask,” Jongin shakes his head when Chanyeol opens his mouth. “I gave up on understanding the Force a while ago.”

“Mm, okay,” Chanyeol shrugs. “I’ll be at the bar if you need anything.”

With that, he turns on his heels and walks away, leaving Jongin and Kyungsoo alone in the small guest room.

Kyungsoo closes his eyes. “I have to strike tomorrow.”

“What?” Jongin exclaims.

“They’re at their weakest now,” Kyungsoo says. “Skywal— _ Vader _ is weak. He’s just a shadow of his former self. He’s not used to his new body yet. I can defeat him in his current state.”

“Well, you’re not in your top shape either, are you?” Jongin snaps. “Kyungsoo, don’t do anything rash. Think it through!”

Kyungsoo looks straight into Jongin’s eyes. “I have thought it through. I’ve sparred with him several times in the past, and I’ve never come close to even landing a hit on him. Today, I have. I  _ know _ I can take him on.”

“Okay, suppose you can take that guy down,” Jongin says. “What are you gonna do about the Emperor?”

Kyungsoo looks away. “I will fight him, naturally.”

“So you know you’re marching to your death!” Jongin exclaims angrily.

“I do not fear death,” Kyungsoo whispers.

“Well,  _ good for you _ ,” Jongin growls, standing up from the bed and throwing down the bandage. “What about the rest of us? What about  _ me _ ?”

“I told you not to get attached to me.”

Jongin’s face hardens. “Oh. I’m sorry. I forgot that I wasn’t  _ allowed to _ .”

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath. “I know you’re upset.”

“Upset?” Jongin scoffs. “You think I’m  _ upset _ ? I’m freaking livid! Tell me, did you ever expect to succeed on this mission?”

“There is always hope—”

“No, don’t give me that Jedi mumbo-jumbo!” Jongin cuts him off. “What do you really think? Will you succeed?”

Kyungsoo closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Then, he opens them again, and while staring directly into Jongin’s, he utters a single word. “No.”

“So you’re just gonna waltz right into a slaughterhouse,” Jongin nods with gritted teeth.

“I did not expect to walk away from Geonosis three years ago,” Kyungsoo shrugs. “I am not afraid to die.”

“No, you’re not afraid of it, you’re fucking welcoming it with open arms!” Jongin snaps. “You  _ want _ to fail. Why?”

“It is the only way.”

“There’s  _ always _ another way.”

“Not a Jedi way.”

Jongin groans, grabbing his own hair in exasperation. “Jedi this, Jedi that, can’t you  _ live _ a little? Why do you have to throw your life away? Is that the Jedi way? You’d rather die than cope with reality?”

“What are you trying to say?” Kyungsoo asks, squinting his eyes.

“That you’re a coward!” Jongin rasps angrily. “You’d rather choose the easy way out than live a life of struggle like the rest of us! What, you lived your whole life as a Jedi, and now that they’re no longer around, you’d rather just join them in the afterlife than adapt?”

“Stop,” Kyungsoo hisses in a low tone. “I know what you’re trying to do. It’s not going to work.”

“Is it not?” Jongin asks, crossing his arms. “I think it is. Isn’t this why you brought me with you? To talk you out of your crazy suicide plan?”

“I brought you because you insisted on coming with me,” Kyungsoo retorts.

“Oh, as if you couldn’t just ignore me,” Jongin scoffs. “Admit it, you  _ want _ to be saved.”

“No,” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I just… I just didn’t want to spend my final days alone.”

“You selfish asshole,” Jongin says through gritted teeth. “You  _ knew _ I was falling for you, and you still took me along, just so that you wouldn’t be lonely?”

“That was selfish of me,” Kyungsoo concedes. “I’m sorry.”

“Make it up to me, then,” Jongin tells him defiantly.

Kyungsoo gives Jongin a faltering look. “How?”

Jongin gulps. It’s now or never. “Give me a chance to show you what you’re missing out on. What life is. Then, you can decide if you still want to go kill yourself or if we walk away from this craziness.”

Kyungsoo stares at Jongin deeply, and Jongin can see the inner conflict brewing inside of those dark pupils. He can see hesitation and fear, but also curiosity and thrill reflected in them. Then, Kyungsoo’s expression stiffens, and for a second, Jongin thinks that he went too far, that Kyungsoo will push him away and leave  _ immediately _ .

Fortunately, Kyungsoo leans back on the bed, his eyes dropping down. “Fine. Show me.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. Within moments, Jongin closes the distance between them, grabbing Kyungsoo by the hair and connecting their lips. Startled, Kyungsoo places his hands on Jongin’s chest, but he stops short of pushing Jongin away. Instead, he lets his hands roam Jongin’s torso before traveling to Jongin’s back and pulling Jongin closer. He hesitantly parts his lips, and that’s all the invitation Jongin needs before his tongue dives in, exploring the inexperienced mouth while his hands travel down from the exposed back to the rock-hard abs of the Jedi.

Kyungsoo is a fast learner, and before long, he’s kissing Jongin back, his arms gently but insistently caressing Jongin’s back. They collapse onto the hard mattress together and Jongin’s pushed on his back, while Kyungsoo climbs on top of Jongin and positions himself in between Jongin’s legs. Primal instincts seem to overtake the otherwise stoic man as he rocks his hips forward, sending waves of pleasure through Jongin’s body, making the latter break away from the kiss and moan loudly, his finger digging into Kyungsoo’s shoulders.

Kyungsoo hisses in pain, making Jongin immediately release his tight grip. He opens his eyes and sees Kyungsoo staring back at him, his expression still unreadable.

“Sorry,” Jongin pants, catching his breath. “I—I forgot—”

“It’s okay,” Kyungsoo shakes his head.

Jongin shuffles around and pushes Kyungsoo down onto the bed, climbing on top of him. “Um, maybe this will work better.”

If Kyungsoo has any objections, he doesn’t let it show, instead just staring curiously at Jongin, his eyes wide open.

Jongin takes that as a go-ahead and leans down, slowly planting kisses on Kyungsoo’s body, starting at the man’s neck and traveling down at a painfully slow pace. Jongin wants nothing more than to just get all the way down and claim his prize, but he wants this to feel  _ really _ good for Kyungsoo, because maybe, if Kyungsoo realizes what all he’s been missing out on in his life, he will reconsider his plans.

Finally, when Jongin sucks on one of Kyungsoo’s nipples, the latter draws in a sharp breath, his indifferent expression breaking. Jongin redoubles his effort, teasing the sensitive spot with his tongue before moving on to the other nipple. Before long, Kyungsoo’s panting heavily, biting down on his lower lip to prevent any moans from escaping his thick lips.

As his lips travel further down from the Kyungsoo’s chest to his stomach, Jongin’s fingers fumble with the buttons of the Jedi’s pants. He places a gentle kiss on Kyungsoo’s belly button and with one quick motion, he pulls the khaki pants down, revealing the stiff hardness that’s been neglected up until now.

Jongin quickly glances up and meets Kyungsoo’s eyes; the latter still seems unfazed, though Jongin can tell that it’s taking all of his willpower not to break his poker face. And so, while staring deeply into those mesmerizing brown eyes, Jongin grabs the erect member with one hand and plants a wet and sloppy kiss on the head.

Kyungsoo  _ finally _ lets out a groan, throwing his head back, and Jongin knows he’s won. He licks a long stripe on the underside of the cock, from the base to the tip, before wrapping his lips around the engorged cockhead and sucking gently.

Kyungsoo’s now given up on all efforts to control himself; one obscene after another leaves his lips, his eyes closed shut, as Jongin bobs his head up and down on the hard cock. Jongin relishes in the fact that he’s probably the first one to see this side of Kyungsoo, his expressionless mask torn apart, reduced to a moaning mess in front of him.

But it’s not enough for Jongin. With a loud pop, he pulls away from the stiff rod. He gives each of Kyungsoo’s balls a quick kiss as his fingers work on unbuttoning his own pants. Once he loses them, Jongin climbs back on top of Kyungsoo, settling down right on top of the latter’s lap, feeling the erect member pressing in between his buttcheeks.

“What are you…?” Kyungsoo asks, his eyes widening in surprise.

“I’ll make you feel good,” Jongin purrs in a low tone. “Do you trust me?”

Kyungsoo wordlessly nods, gulping. Jongin leans down, connecting their lips once more. Kyungsoo kisses him back fervently, rolling his hips insistently against Jongin, who grabs the throbbing erection in one hand and spreads his cheeks with the other. He really hates doing it without prep, but today’s not about his pleasure—it’s all about Kyungsoo’s, and Jongin is dead set on gonna give the Jedi the best night of his life, whatever the price.

He braces himself for the inevitable pain as he guides the firm member to his opening and pushes it in. A wave of excruciating burning sensation washes over his body and Jongin bites down on Kyungsoo’s lower lip as he feels himself splitting open to accommodate the thick cockhead of Kyungsoo’s dick. Kyungsoo’s hands, which were resting on Jongin’s waist up until now, quickly make their way to Jongin’s buttcheeks and spread them even further apart, his hips bucking up, and with one sharp thrust, he lodges himself inside of Jongin.

“Fuck,” Jongin cries out in pain as he breaks their kiss once again when Kyungsoo rams his cock inside of him.

Kyungsoo’s eyes snap open, realizing what he’s done, and immediately stops moving. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

Jongin quickly silences him with another kiss before burying his face in Kyungsoo’s uninjured shoulder, and despite the pain, he keeps sinking himself further and further down on the rigid member until he’s all the way down. He can feel Kyungsoo shudder under him when Jongin takes  _ all _ of him inside his tight hole.

They remain in that position, unmoving, for several moments while Jongin’s body adjusts to the sudden intrusion. Kyungsoo’s hands gently caress his back as he plants gentle kisses on Jongin’s neck. When the pain somewhat subsides, Jongin slowly starts moving.

It’s not long before he grows numb to the burning sensation and tingles of pleasure start spreading through his nerves. Jongin’s painful winces turn into moans of pleasure soon after, and he straightens his body, throwing his head back as he picks up the pace.

He feels Kyungsoo’s hands grip his waist and looks down. Kyungsoo’s eyes are now clouded with lust, and Jongin’s lips curl up when he feels the usually reserved man roll his hips upwards. Jongin relaxes and stops moving, instead letting Kyungsoo control the pace. The tip of Kyungsoo’s cock rubs against all the good places inside of him, and Jongin surrenders himself to the quickening thrusts of his partner.

“Fuck,” Jongin groans when Kyungsoo pushes him down on the mattress, and without slipping out, he props himself up above Jongin and starts aggressively plunging himself balls-deep inside of Jongin. With each thrust, Kyungsoo grunts harder and harder, ramming himself deeper than Jongin thought possible, and Jongin’s reduced to an unintelligible, whimpering mess of a man.

With one last decisive thrust, Kyungsoo grunts in Jongin’s ear, shoving his throbbing rod as deep as he can inside of Jongin. Jongin feels it twitch inside of him, and then Kyungsoo releases, filling him completely with his essence, and that’s enough for Jongin to lose it himself, spurting his own release all over their bodies.

Kyungsoo collapses onto the mattress on top of Jongin. He stays on top of Jongin for several moments before he finally rolls away, pulling out of Jongin and leaving the latter feeling strangely empty on the inside. After recovering from one of the strongest orgasms in his life, Jongin curls up on Kyungsoo’s chest.

“Can we stay like this?” he asks, his voice still shaking.

“Mm,” comes the reply from the spent Jedi, and that’s enough for Jongin. For now. Closing his eyes, Jongin drifts off to sleep.

He doesn’t know how long he’s out, buried in Kyungsoo’s chest. He only comes around when Kyungsoo stirs and gently removes himself from Jongin’s hold.

“Don’t go,” Jongin whispers, his voice barely audible. “Stay here with me.”

“I can’t,” Kyungsoo shakes his head as he gets dressed. “I’m sorry. I must see this through.”

“Please, Kyungsoo,” Jongin begs, his voice breaking. “Don’t leave me here alone.”

He adjusts his clothes and picks up his lightsaber. He looks at it, almost longingly, before stashing it away inside his robes. “If I succeed, I will come back for you. If I don’t—”

“You will,” Jongin interrupts him, sobbing. “No, you  _ must _ .”

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and grabs the doorknob. Just before he opens the door, however, he turns to Jongin one last time. “This is goodbye.”

“You will come back to me,” Jongin repeats with resolution. “Promise me.”

Kyungsoo lets out a sigh before nodding quickly. “I promise.”

With that, he swings the door open and steps out.

“Kyungsoo!” Jongin calls after him desperately.

Kyungsoo stops in his tracks, his head jerking slightly, but he stops himself from looking back.

Jongin wipes the tears welling in his eyes and mutters, “May the Force be with you.”

“May the Force be with you,” Kyungsoo returns, and with that, he departs.


	4. Epilogue

Jongin hears the door open and a pair of footsteps approaching the bar. He doesn’t bother looking up; instead, he just keeps cleaning the glasses. It’s not like the cantina’s known for excellent customer service, anyway.

“One Spice Runner Hard Cider, pretty boy,” a deep voice grunts in front of him.

Jongin looks up from the glass he was wiping, smiling faintly at the familiar Zabrak. “Hey, Chanyeol.”

“You look down,” Chanyeol comments, eyeing Jongin from head to toe. “Want me to turn that frown of yours upside down?

Jongin looks around the cantina. There’s no one around. There hasn’t been anyone for days, ever since the siege of Coruscant began. There probably won’t be anyone else for days, either.

He nods.

~

“It’s been twenty-five years, Jongin,” Chanyeol grunts as he pulls out of Jongin.

“Fuck, sorry,” Jongin pants, coming down from his own high. “Did I say his name again? I’m so sorry, Chanyeol.”

“Hey, I get it,” Chanyeol says as he gets up from the bed, pulling up his pants. “I truly do, but you know you can’t just keep waiting here for him. He’s not coming back.”

“I know,” Jongin winces, sitting up and pulling his knees to his chin. He grabs a dirty shirt from next to him, placing it under himself so Chanyeol’s release doesn’t stain his sheets. “But what if—”

“Just move on, Jongin,” Chanyeol grunts. “You’ve waited for long enough.”

With that, he heads to the bathroom, leaving Jongin by himself.

Jongin knows Chanyeol’s right. He’s been in the depths of Coruscant slums for twenty-five years now, waiting for Kyungsoo to return from his mission. He knows that Kyungsoo failed. The emperor lived, Vader rose to prominence, and there was no word of any incidents. A small part of him hoped that one day, Kyungsoo would walk in through the door, saying that he changed his mind and that he’d follow Jongin back to Mygeeto. Or that he’d again appear at the doorstep, severely wounded, but still breathing.

Twenty-five years have passed since their goodbye, and Jongin hasn’t heard the faintest whisper of what may have happened to the Jedi Shadow.

The sound of the front door opening again snaps Jongin out of his thoughts, and he quickly scrambles to his feet. He throws his clothes on hastily and hurries back to the front of the bar.

He sees a face he never expected to see on Coruscant again, not after what happened last time he saw it.

“Hey, Jongin,” Baekhyun smiles weakly.

“Baekhyun,” Jongin says, shocked. “I—what are you doing here?”

“We’ve finally taken over Coruscant,” Baekhyun says with a sad smile. “The Empire is no longer.”

“Oh,” Jongin blinks. “Well, that’s great news. I knew the Rebels would succeed.”

“Not soon enough,” Baekhyun says grimly. “I wish Sehun could be here and see his work come to fruition.”

Jongin grabs a bottle of hard liquor from the cabinet and pours two glasses. He hands Baekhyun one and grabs the other. “To Sehun.”

“To Sehun,” Baekhyun nods and knocks down the shot. “Listen, the reason I’m here is… we raided the Imperial Palace yesterday. Drove out the last of his followers. Found a lot of things. One of them… well, here.”

With that, Baekhyun hands him an object wrapped in a piece of cloth. Jongin draws a sharp breath when he touches it. Surely, it’s not...?

He quickly puts the cloth away, and he lets out a soft whimper. It’s a familiar, long, black metallic tube, adorned with golden knobs and embedded with a small amethyst crystal.

“That’s everything I could find,” Baekhyun mutters. “I’m—I’m sorry. I’m sure he’d want you to have it.”

Jongin’s fingers clutch Kyungsoo’s lightsaber firmly, pulling it to his chest. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Thank you, Baekhyun.”

When Chanyeol steps out of the shower, he finds Jongin on the floor behind the bar, sobbing.

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeol asks, immediately hurrying over.

Jongin shows him the late Jedi’s weapon. “Y-you were right.”

“Oh, no, I’m so sorry,” Chanyeol mutters, wrapping his arms around Jongin.

Jongin bites his lip, grabbing onto Chanyeol for support as he scrambles to his feet. “I—let’s get out of here.”

“Okay,” Chanyeol nods. “Where do you want to go?”

It is only then that Jongin realizes he has nowhere to go. He abandoned his old life decades ago, and now that this chapter of his life is finally over, he doesn’t have anywhere to return to.

“Anywhere. Just take me wherever you’re going.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it. I hope you enjoyed this little adventure into Star Wars of mine. This is actually one of my oldest story ideas, all the way from 2014. I just never really started it, and at some point I lost the folder with all of my old WIP stuff. Well, I thought I lost them, but I found a backup in my Google Drive, so yeah.
> 
> Some clarifications: 1) Yes, Kyungsoo definitely went and got himself killed. I could go on and on about what I thought his mental state was like that led him to just seek out certain death, but I'll let you all interpret that as you wish. 2) Sehun is also dead. I didn't go too much into it in the story, but basically, he joined the Rebels and got discovered (this would be around the time of Empire Strikes Back in the movies). This leads Baekhyun, who up until then remained largely neutral in the conflict as to not draw attention to Sehun, being his husband and all, to join the Rebels. This epilogue happens after the events of The Return of the Jedi, during my own version of what the liberation of Coruscant must've been like.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave me comments if you did, and even if you didn't! I always enjoy reading up on what people love about my writing. Also, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @victorrotto if you have any questions/comments!


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